South-East European Cooperation Process

The South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) was launched on Bulgaria's initiative in 1996. At the Bulgaria-chaired meeting in Sofia, the Southeast Europe (SEE) countries laid the foundations for regional co-operation for the purposes of creating an atmosphere of trust, good neighbourly relations and stability.

A special characteristic of SEECP is that it is an original form of co-operation among the countries in the region launched on their own initiative, and not on the initiative of some other international organisation or countries. In that regard, the SEECP seeks to define itself as an authentic voice of SEE, complementary to the Stability Pact, Southeast European Cooperative Initiative or the Stabilisation and Association Process.

The basic goals of regional co-operation within SEECP include the strengthening of security and the political situation, intensification of economic relations and co-operation in the areas of human resources, democracy, justice, and battle against illegal activities. It is the intention of the SEECP to enable its members to approach the European and Euro-Atlantic structures through the strengthening of good neighbourly relations and transformation of the region into an area of peace and stability.

Membership

• Founding members:
  •  Albania
  •  Bosnia and Herzegovina
  •  Bulgaria
  •  Greece
  •  North Macedonia
  •  Romania
  •  Serbia (joined as Serbia and Montenegro)
  •  Turkey
• Joined later:
  •  Croatia (2005)
  •  Moldova (2006)
  •  Montenegro (2007)
  •  Slovenia (2010)
  •  Kosovo (2014)

Structure

The SEECP is a regional non-institutionalised process co-ordinated by the presiding country. The SEECP presidency lasts for one year and is rotated among the members. The presiding country presents the Process at international meetings and hosts the annual meeting of heads of state and government, foreign ministers meeting and a number of annual meetings of political directors. Depending on the situation, the presiding country may call extraordinary meetings. Representatives of the current, past, and future SEECP Chair-in-Office form a Troika to ensure the continuity of activities.

Regional Cooperation Council

The Regional Cooperation Council was established at a 2008 meeting of foreign affairs ministers from the SEECP. The organization was founded by SEECP participants and is funded in part by the European Union to further promote European integration and cooperation. The RCC is led by a Secretary-General, currently Majlinda Bregu and consists of 46 participants. Participants are made up of the SEECP countries, along with other countries and supranational organizations who are interested in the stability and development of the region. A major project of the RCC is the development of the Regional Economic Area (REA), to better integrate South East European economies. The status of the REA has been uncertain with competing integration projects like the 2019 Open Balkan initiative. However on 2 July 2023, Albanian prime minister Edi Rama stated the Open Balkans project is over and the countries will revert back to the Berlin Process.

Chairmanship

Presiding country is changed each year on 1 July:

• 1996–97, Bulgaria
• 1997–98, Greece
• 1998–99, Turkey
• 1999–2000, Romania
• 2000–01, North Macedonia
• 2001–02, Albania
• 2002–03, Serbia and Montenegro
• 2003–04, Bosnia and Herzegovina
• April 2004 – May 2005, Romania
• May 2005 – May 2006, Greece
• May 2006 – May 2007, Croatia
• May 2007 – May 2008, Bulgaria
• 2008–09, Moldova
• 2009–10, Turkey
• 2010–11, Montenegro
• 2011–12, Serbia
• 2012–13, North Macedonia
• 2013–14, Romania
• 2014–15, Albania
• 2015–16, Bulgaria
• 2016–17, Croatia
• 2017–18, Slovenia
• 2018–19, Bosnia and Herzegovina
• 2019–20, Kosovo
• 2020–21, Turkey
• 2021–22, Greece
• 2022–23, Montenegro
• 2023–24, North Macedonia
• 2024–25, Albania

Meetings held

Heads of state and government meetings

• 2–4 November 1997, Crete
• 12–13 October 1998, Antalya
• 12 February 2000, Bucharest
• 25 October 2000, Skopje (extraordinary meeting)
• 23 February 2001, Skopje
• 28 March 2002, Tirana
• 9 April 2003, Belgrade
• 21 April 2004, Sarajevo
• 11 May 2005, Bucharest
• 4 May 2006, Thessaloniki
• 11 May 2007, Zagreb
• 21 May 2008, Pomorie
• 5 June 2009, Chișinău
• 21–23 June 2010, Istanbul
• 1 June 2013, Ohrid (cancelled)
• 25 June 2014, Bucharest
• 26 May 2015, Tirana
• 1 June 2016, Sofia
• 30 June 2017, Dubrovnik
• 24 April 2018, Kranj
• 8–9 July 2019, Sarajevo (Refused by Kosovo)
• 2020, Pristina (Cancelled due to COVID-19)
• 17–18 June 2021, Antalya
• 10–11 June 2022, Athens
• 27 June 2023, Podgorica
• 13 June 2023, Skopje

Foreign ministers meetings

• 6–7 July 1996, Sofia
• 5–6 June 1997, Thessaloniki
• 8–9 June 1998, Istanbul
• 19 March 1999, Bucharest
• 2 December 1999, Bucharest
• 14 July 2000, Ohrid
• 16 May 2001, Tirana
• 19 June 2002, Belgrade
• 9 June 2003, Sarajevo
• 22 October 2004, Bucharest
• 24 January 2006, Athens
• 1 March 2007, Zagreb
• 14 June 2012, Belgrade
• 22 May 2015, Tirana
• 23 April 2018, Kranj
• 5 September 2018, Banja Luka
• 25 June 2020, Pristina (Online due to COVID-19)
• 6 November 2020, Antalya
• 5 June 2023, Budva

See also

• Southeast Europe
• Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe
• Southeast European Cooperative Initiative (SECI)
• Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC)

References

External links

• South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP)
• Regional Secretariat for Parliamentary Cooperation in South East Europe
• Regional Cooperation Council